Dimsum is a popular snack in Indonesia. This dish is usually made from shrimp, fish, or chicken. The uniqueness of dimsum usually lies in the thin and chewy dough. However, in the process of making dimsum, one of the challenges often faced is that the dough is too soft and difficult to mold.
The problem of soft dough is usually caused by an imbalance between the ingredients used, especially flour and water. If the dough contains too much water or fat from the meat used as the filling , the texture of the dough becomes too soft and difficult to shape. In addition, choosing the wrong type of flour can also affect the elasticity of the dough, so that the dimsum is not dense enough to be shaped.
The soft condition of the dough makes the process of forming dimsum difficult and also affects the final appearance of the dimsum. Ideal dimsum generally has a neat shape with a smooth and chewy skin texture. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the composition of the ingredients and the dough processing technique so that the dimsum results are as expected, both in terms of taste and appearance.
However, if the dough is too soft, you can use a trick shared by Instagram user @budimuliadua_culinaryschool. Through one of the uploaded videos, the netizen admitted to using two additional ingredients so that the dimsum dough is not sticky and can be molded. Reported by BrilioFood from the Instagram account @budimuliadua_culinaryschool on Thursday (5/9), the additional ingredients used are starch or tapioca flour and ice water.
Instagram/@budimuliadua_culinaryschool
Basically, tapioca flour can make dimsum dough denser and chewier. However, it should be noted that the amount of flour should not be too much. If you want to add flour, add it little by little while stirring.
Instagram/@budimuliadua_culinaryschool
Well, you can add this tapioca flour until the dimsum dough becomes more chewy. At that stage, the tapioca flour will absorb excess moisture in the dimsum dough. On the other hand, the dimsum dough will also not be sticky anymore, making it easier to mold later. In addition to tapioca flour, you can also add cold water or ice water. According to Instagram user @budimuliadua_culinaryschool, cold water can help control the formation of gluten. Well, this gluten will make the dough more elastic and not sticky.
Instagram/@budimuliadua_culinaryschool
Meanwhile, ice water helps keep the fat or oil in the dough solid, so it doesn't mix too much with the other ingredients. This is especially important in doughs containing fatty meat, because the cold temperature can prevent the fat from melting and make the dough easier to process and shape. Basically, ice water works by inhibiting the initial heating process in the dough and keeping the moisture balanced, so that the dimsum dough has the right elasticity and is easy to shape. Then if you have kneaded it, don't immediately shape the dough. Let the dough rest for 15-30 minutes in the refrigerator. This process helps the dough become easier to process and shape. The last step, you can steam the dimsum until it is perfectly cooked.